


Courting Through a Window: A Modern Day Peacock Flaring Its Feathers to Attract a Mate

by thejammys



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Human, Flirting, M/M, Thor helplessly crushing on Loki, mention of Steve/Bucky, showering together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25586548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejammys/pseuds/thejammys
Summary: Thor works as a window washer and takes a job at a new building where he meets a handsome office worker named Loki.AKA: The five times Thor washed Loki's windows, and the one time Loki washed Thor.
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 176





	Courting Through a Window: A Modern Day Peacock Flaring Its Feathers to Attract a Mate

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I got this idea earlier today so this was written in a matter of hours. :O

oooooo

**One**

  
  


Fall days are Thor’s favorite.

The wind kisses him ‘hello’ every morning while he bicycles to work, and the breezy nip keeps him dry and refreshed.

Six stories up it’s even chillier, and Thor delights in the feel of it.

Things won’t become unbearable until early December, and it’s often the busiest time of the year with so many companies insisting on pristine glass so the view of their indoor holiday decorations can remain unobscured.

He enjoys this weather while he can.

Today’s first stop on his route is a new building. His usual partner, Steve, met the properties manager of this site at an empanada shop last month and Thor is certain this extra work is just an excuse for the two of them to see each other again.

Steve goes inside to greet Mr. Barnes, claiming he doesn’t want to be rude, and leaves Thor to get started.

With his safety belt secure, Thor steps into his rig and pops a single earbud in. With his back to the world and his feet off the ground, Thor dislikes having any of his senses so compromised that he might miss danger headed at him because of a song blaring, but he hates to miss out on playing his autumn soundtracks and enjoying them when he turns his head to admire the view from his vantage point.

He likes to make the songs progressively more exciting as he moves up floors, so he doesn’t hear his favorites until he’s nearly done. It’s an excellent motivator, and the sights are usually most impressive at the top of a building.

With his spray bottle in one hand and his squeegee in the other, Thor begins to work.

Since it’s his first time cleaning this building Thor skips through half of his playlist meant to fill time for a much taller erection, and just as he gets to the final story, he stops on one of the songs he most likes to enjoy on a brisk autumn day.

When Thor looks up from his phone and his eyes adjust to see past his own reflection and into the building, his attention is immediately summoned to a young man seated at a desk talking on a phone and holding his face in his hand.

It’s unclear if he’s merely harried or if he’s in the middle of an emotional storm, and though it’s impolite to stare Thor finds he cannot look away. He can’t go so far as to press his hands up against the glass to block out the light from behind him and shield his attempts to see more of this man, but he can always pretend to be merely hyperfocused on a speck of crud that just happens to be placed directly over where this stranger is seated.

When the man hangs up, his fingers slip through his dark curls as his head falls forward to slump onto his arm, and Thor smiles sympathetically.

The man stays like that for a few breaths, and then pushes his chair back and stands.

_ Good lord, he’s tall _ .

He turns to the window and frowns at Thor, as though there’s something bothersome about a strange human standing outside looking in at him when they’re seven stories up.

Thor realizes he hasn’t actually begun cleaning yet, and it takes him a beat too long to remember his cover up strategy of doing his job, and gawks at the handsome man instead.

A slight reflection of urban sprawl behind him blurs the man’s face, and it isn’t until he starts walking toward the window that his features become clear.

When they’re standing no more than a foot apart, albeit with two inches of glass in between them, Thor nearly gasps at this man’s enormous green eyes and salient cheekbones.

They stare at each other — well, it’s flustered admiration from Thor and really just glaring from the other guy — for a few seconds before Thor says, “Hi.”

He’s not sure if the man can hear him, but from his lips alone the message should be clear.

The stranger remains fixed for another second, and then seems to soften. He doesn’t reply, but he reaches for something to his left on the wall past the edge of the window.

Thor watches him, transfixed, and feels a tingly sensation low in his tummy.

When the other man brings his arm back, he smirks at Thor and his lips mouth ‘Hi’ right before the machine-operated blinds come down to separate them, leaving Thor with nothing but the mirror image of his own grinning face.

oooooo

**Two**

  
  


Thor goes back a week later, but this time he’s prepared.

_ This time _ he wears a short-sleeved shirt that cuts his muscles nicely.

The past seven days featured a lot of Thor smiling widely every time he thought about the mystery office worker, and fantasizing about running into him everywhere he went.

He hurries through the first six stories like a man on fire. The alarming speed with which he blasted off even the suggestion of dirt leaves his arms a bit tired, which is just fine as he intends to take his time on this final floor.

When the carriage levels, Thor looks inside hopefully and is giddy when he spots the man.

It appears as if he’s in a meeting, as he’s rapidly taking notes on the ledger in his hand while another man in a crisp suit stands before him, drinking from a tumbler.

His handsome scowler doesn’t notice Thor right away, and Thor is torn between respectfully trying not to be a distraction and permitting this poor stranger to get his work done, and flexing hard enough to make his shirt explode off of his body.

Compromise is often the best way of things, and Thor decides to stretch his arms before getting down to business and tries not to look smug when he sees the man look up from his writing.

Thor waves at him and the man ignores it.

_ He probably just can’t flirt with me when there’s a witness _ .

Though he’s amassed a generous pocket of time to get this done, and could easily go through his motions in a sloth-like fashion until the man in the suit leaves and his scribbler is left alone, Thor fears that if the suit man leaves, then his stranger may follow and Thor will lose his chance to show off his biceps.

It’s fortunate for him that the machinations of his work provide ample opportunity for him to display his arms performatively and throw his chest out while he stretches his shoulders.

His mating ritual does not go unnoticed, and Thor sees the man look over at him every few seconds, though he continues to take his notes.

When the stupid talking guy finally leaves, Thor bends over, aiming his rear at the window, and pretends to be fussing with his supplies. He dearly hopes that when he straightens he’ll find a pretty face waiting for him.

And hot diggity dog, there is.

The man looks annoyed and entertained. His green eyes flash when Thor turns and pretends to look like he has been caught in a compromising position that he himself did not manufacture.

Thor brings up a hand to cover his mouth, softening his lips into a mock ‘oh’ of surprise, and he widens his eyes to appear demure.

The stranger shakes his head and looks like he's trying to pinch his lips forward to keep a smile from breaking out.

“I’m Thor,” Thor says as he drops his hand so his mouth is visible.

One dark perfectly plucked eyebrow raises and Thor fears his important message has not translated through the plexiglass.

He gestures to himself and then leans forward to exhale hot air on the window, creating a brief canvas for him to communicate through.

_ Thor _ , he writes with his fingertip.

The man nods and Thor sees him mouth ‘Thor’.

Perhaps too optimistically, Thor waits for the other half of this introduction with hopeful eyes, and when the man looks at him coyly, Thor realizes he must  _ ask _ if he wants to learn.

He points to Loki and raises his eyebrows.

The man flicks his eyes up from Thor’s window message to his face, considering him, and then relaxes the ledger in his hands he had tucked against his chest and writes something. He flips it around and Thor feels a little jolt of ecstatic thrill shoot through him.

_ Loki _ , it reads.

“Loki,” Thor says out loud. He puts a hand over his heart and claps it twice before repeating, “Loki,” while he looks at Loki’s face, to demonstrate how moved he is by this information.

Thor doesn’t hear it, but something makes Loki turn around quickly, and Thor realizes that the suit man is probably calling for him.

He watches Loki listen, and nearly pouts when Loki turns back around and throws his thumb over his shoulder to indicate that he has to get back to work.

It makes him blue, but Thor nods in understanding and holds up his cleaning supplies to demonstrate solidarity.

Loki gives him the tiniest of smiles, and then one farewell nod before walking away.

When Thor leaves that day, he does so with the resolve that he will find a way to respectfully ask Loki out.

oooooo

**Three**

  
  


The following Friday, sporting an even tighter shirt that he borrowed from Steve, Thor finds himself posing as his rig climbs up to Loki’s window. His right hand grips the edge of the carriage, giving him balance as he leans to his side and flexes his left arm, hoping that it translates into nonchalant magnificence.

To his absolute dismay, Loki isn’t anywhere in sight.

Thor drops the pose and abandons any pretense of casual by doing what he had refused to earlier and cupping his hands around his eyes as he presses his face to the glass, hoping that Loki is somewhere inside.

It occurs to him that this looks like unwelcome leering, and Thor pauses to reconsider whether his presence has come off as intrusive. Loki is, after all, at work, and Thor doesn’t want to be a creep.

He lowers his hands and gets to work.

Nearly ten minutes of chewing the inside of his lip and reconsidering his hopes for taking Loki on a romantic evening of hand holding later, Thor sees movement on the other side of the glass and his heart begins to beat wildly when his crush appears.

The window is almost finished, and lingering unnecessarily violates Thor’s resolve to be respectful, so he hesitates over whether to try and get Loki’s attention by waving.

To his absolute thrill, Loki looks over and spots him and Thor swears he sees a smile.

Loki sets down the stack of papers, files, and books he carried in and then crosses to the window.

From his expression, Thor hazards that this meeting is a welcome one, and grins brightly while he offers a cheery wave to the most handsome man he’s ever seen.

“Hi, Loki,” Thor says, when Loki is close enough to properly read his lips.

“Hi, Thor,” Loki mouths back, amused.

He points to Loki and then holds his thumbs up, hoping this reads as ‘Are you well?’, and then raises his eyebrows to emphasize his interest.

Loki gestures back to the mountain of crap on his desk, all likely work that he has to get through before he can leave.

Thor pulls his lips down into an exaggerated pout and frowns.

Truly, it is terrible. No one this good looking should be trapped behind a desk doing paperwork when they should be out being spoiled with delicious foods, marvelous presents, and copious amounts of kisses.

Loki crosses his arms and it occurs to Thor that he may think he’s being mocked.

As this is patently untrue, Thor decides to do the only thing he can think of to illustrate his displeasure at seeing Loki so burdened with tasks.

He breathes onto the glass and traces a frowny face in the steam.

Though he looks annoyed by it, Loki rolls his eyes and smiles.

It’s enough encouragement that Thor elects to move forward with his request to see Loki in circumstances other than cleaning his windows.

Thor points to Loki, points to himself, and then mimes holding a plate and fork and bringing food up to his mouth and chewing. Loki raises an eyebrow and doesn’t answer, so Thor continues the play. He presses his thumb to three of his fingers, sticking his pinky out, and then brings an invisible wine glass to his lips and takes a sip before smacking them and mouthing ‘ooh’.

He gestures to himself with one hand and folds the other to mime talking, then points to Loki and holds his belly while he laughs silently.

Loki folds his arms tighter, like he needs more convincing, but his expression is fond.

Pretending to roll up sleeves he is not wearing, Thor prepares himself for the big guns.

Carefully, as he’s still suspended in the air, Thor gets down onto one knee and pulls air out of his back pocket. He pretends to open a ring box and looks up at Loki hopefully, mouthing ‘will you marry me?’

But he doesn’t stop there, he quickly returns to standing and points to Loki, to change characters, and then clutches his heart and covers his mouth to hide his shock and delight. He wipes away imaginary tears and nods aggressively and then sloppily kisses the open air in front of him.

When he opens his eyes and looks pointedly and hopefully at Loki he sees an obscenely attractive man trying so hard not to smile that the energy he’s holding in might be making his hair even curlier.

Thor raises his eyebrows and holds his hands out optimistically, silently asking.

Loki points to his desk, then to his watch, then holds up ten fingers.

If Thor is understanding that correctly…

“Ten?” Thor asks into the chilly air, incredulously. It’s only eleven-thirty in the morning now, and Thor sincerely hopes he is misinterpreting Loki’s meaning.

Loki nods, and he does look disappointed, though that could merely be at having such a long workday and not regret over missing an opportunity to be proposed to by Thor.

The suit man from yesterday, who Thor imagines to be Loki’s boss, steps out of his office and sweeps toward the hallway without looking up. He must have called for Loki though, because Thor watches his head turn around and then look back to Thor with a grimace.

He returns to his desk to collect the pile and when he turns back to wave a final goodbye to Thor, he smiles at what he sees written in fresh steam on the glass.

_ I’ll have a ring next time _ .

oooooo

**Four**

  
  


If he can’t take Loki to the date, then he’ll bring the date to Loki.

It’s total chance that Thor finds himself stopping at Loki’s building later in the day, closer to dinner time, as Steve took the day off to spend with his new boyfriend and Thor had to get through their usual rounds by himself.

He’s more than happy to do so, and in fact this awards him with the possibility of sharing a snack with his crush.

The sun is already beginning to set and it’s just after six by the time Thor arrives at Loki’s floor.

It’s easier to see inside in the evening hours, and the fluorescent lights just so happen to be illuminating the lovely creature that is Loki.

When his peripheral vision catches movement and prompts him to look over at Thor, Thor nearly swoons and falls out of his rig from the way Loki smiles at him.

Loki holds up one finger and then resumes typing on his laptop. From his hunched posture and wild hair, it looks like the day has already beaten Loki down and he may still have over three and a half hours to go.

Thor starts his work, hoping to finish before the sun is completely down, and tries not to stare too much at Loki while he does so.

The attempt fails miserably, but Thor can say he attempted to be a dutiful worker.

When Loki finally closes his computer and walks over, Thor hastily puts his things away so he can properly mime things to the man he has begun to refer to in his fantasies as his future-husband.

Thor waves happily and frowns when he sees how tired Loki looks up close. He points to Loki, mimes eating, and then raises his eyebrows to turn it into a question.

Loki shakes his head and then looks at his watch. He draws his lips into a line and looks at Thor as though nothing can be done about it.

But something can be done about it and that’s exactly what Thor intends to do.

He holds up a hand, to hit pause, and crouches to retrieve a bag behind him. Thor doesn’t have a proper lunch box, much less a picnic basket, so his goods are tucked into a grocery store canvas bag — but it gets the job done.

Turning back to Loki, Thor holds up the bag and mimes eating again. Loki quirks a brow at him and Thor gestures his hand between the two of them and then slowly sits down, hoping Loki will grab his own food and follow.

Thor begins to unpack the meal, which is still only prepared for one as he cannot share food with Loki through the glass, but he can provide ambiance for Loki to enjoy.

Firstly he pulls out a tall water glass and a fake rose, which he assembles and then mouths ‘For you’ to Loki as he presents it.

Loki, who is still standing and seems unsure of what the hell Thor is doing, looks down and smiles at the present.

Next Thor retrieves the only wine glass he owns and pours water from his bottle into it. It’s illegal for him to drink on the job regardless, but professions that require a person to wear a safety belt generally demand a clear head.

A candle wouldn’t stand a chance of staying lit up here with the persistence of the wind, but Thor does have a tall flameless battery operated one that he clicks on and places beside the rose.

Finally, he takes out his glass tupperware containing tonight's dinner. He had to pack something that wouldn’t require reheating, as there are no microwaves plugged into the outside of Loki’s building, and he removes the lid to reveal fried rice, sans egg as Thor wasn’t sure how long it would be out of the fridge.

Loki takes the hint and holds up a finger once more. He walks back to his desk and pulls a black satchel bag up from the floor before digging around in it and coming up with something tiny that Thor can’t make out from this far away. He sees Loki grab a reusable water bottle from his desk, and then he returns.

To Thor’s joy, Loki takes a seat on the ground in front of him, crossing his legs and holding up the protein bar he fished out.

“That’s it?” Thor asks, exaggerating the mouth shape to make sure Loki can read it.

Loki nods and shrugs dismissively.

Thor gets a forkful of his food and holds it up to the window, offering in spirit. Loki pretends to take a bite and then spits out the imaginary food.

His deadpan is excellent, and Thor drops his jaw in mock offense.

They can’t have a proper conversation like this, and their hands aren’t free for miming, so Thor sets down his food and pulls out his phone. He opens Netflix and shows the screen to Loki, wanting him to choose their entertainment.

Loki mouths, ‘Stranger Things’, which Thor is primed to recognize as it’s in his ‘recently watched’. Thor holds up his fingers one, two, and three, taking beats in between so he can clarify which season.

A single digit answers him, and Thor clicks play.

He tries to angle the phone so they can both see it, and holds a thumbs up to Loki to ask if it’s acceptable once he has it positioned.

The gesture is returned, and the boys eat their food while they watch.

It’s a brief meal, as the sun is on its way out and Loki has to get back to work, but before Thor switches his controls to send the carriage back down, he knocks on the glass to get Loki’s attention.

With a dying dusk behind him, Thor breathes onto the glass once more and slowly traces a heart.

Loki looks between the heart and him, and though he tries to hide it, he blushes.

oooooo

**Five**

  
  


As far as first dates go, Thor thinks that his and Loki’s was fantastic. In the future he could do with more talking, and ideally some footsie under the table, but overall it put Thor in a wonderful mood that carried him through the rest of the week.

Today there is rain on the forecast, and Thor fears his route will be cut short as it’s unsafe for him to work when there’s lightning nearby.

He tries to get through the first windows quickly, racing against the rapidly darkening sky to get to Loki’s window before he has to throw in the towel.

Luck is on his side, at least for the moment, and he manages to make eye contact with his crush before the clouds let loose any of their moisture.

The carriage settles as it comes to a stop, and Loki walks over to the window carrying a bundle of papers.

They mouth hello to each other around grins, and Thor reaches into his back pocket for something more substantial than his phantom engagement ring.

He withdraws a single sheet of folded up paper, and carefully flattens it against the window for Loki to see.

Thor does not consider himself to be an artist, but he did spend an inordinately long time drawing this picture.

It features him and Loki, or crude stick-figure-like imaginings of him and Loki with black and blond hair respectively to indicate their characters, holding hands and surrounded by pumpkins. He had written ‘second date?’ at the top.

The smile on Loki’s face makes the hand cramp that his hour of coloring gave him worth it, and he nods to Thor and mouths ‘yes’ just as the first grumble of thunder growls in the distance.

Thor looks over his shoulder in the direction of the sound, and when he turns back Loki’s expression is worried.

He quickly folds the paper back up and returns it to his pocket, mere seconds before the downpour begins.

As his clothes begin to soak, Thor laughs and shakes his head at the timing. At least he managed to secure the promise of a date, but he still doesn’t have Loki’s phone number or any way to contact him other than lingering outside his office window.

Loki points down with one hand, and then makes a calling over motion. Thor mouths ‘what’ and Loki repeats it mouthing ‘go down, come in’.

_ You don’t need to tell me twice _ .

By the time his rig is back on the ground, Thor is completely drenched, and this late in October it’s too cold for him to be walking around outside all wet.

The main entrance to the building is only accessible by swiping an i.d. card at a sensor, and just as Thor is pondering how he is supposed to meet Loki, the door swings open and his crush appears.

Thor doesn’t move right away, as he’s nearly blindsided by how excited he is to have nothing but air between him and Loki, and he lets out a shivering laugh when Loki calls, “Are you just going to stand there?”

His voice is even more enchanting than Thor imagined.

He removes his safety harness and climbs out, grateful that he didn’t bring anything up with him besides his cleaning supplies. He’s also glad to have worn a hoodie today, despite his desire to flex in tiny shirts in front of Loki, as it’s an extra layer of protection to shield the date invitation in his back pocket.

With his hands forming an umbrella above his eyes, Thor hurries over and steps inside.

oooooo

**One**

“Hi,” Thor greets around a wide smile as the door closes behind him.

“Hi,” Loki replies with a smirk, and it’s beyond exhilarating to  _ hear _ the word instead of just seeing it.

The desire to reach out and touch Loki is strong, but Thor keeps his wet hands to himself.

“Follow me,” Loki says, reading Thor’s mind and reaching out to take his hand so he can tug him along.

The contact is  _ thrilling _ and though Thor feels badly for the texture Loki’s enduring he has absolutely no wish to break their connection just to dry himself.

Loki leads him to the building’s fitness center, and Thor frowns as this seems like an odd choice.

“There’s a shower in the locker room,” Loki explains, correctly interpreting Thor’s expression.

Hardly anyone is in the gym, and Thor is grateful as he plans to test the limits of what may or may not be outlined in the code of conduct for employees in this building.

When they enter the locker room, Thor does a silent cheer at finding it empty. Loki retrieves a towel for him and guides him to where the showers are.

“Will you join me?” Thor asks, even though Loki looks clean and lovely.

Loki hesitates, flustered, and Thor sees pink bloom into his pale cheeks. He glances over his shoulder, as though double checking that they are in fact alone, and then quietly says, “Yes.”

Tearing off Loki’s clothes would probably be considered rude, and he is still at work, so Thor settles for divesting himself of his sopping garments and tries not to look too eager when Loki begins to unbutton his shirt.

He steps into the stall and turns on the water so it will be nice and warm by the time Loki is naked.

The chill of the rain had the effect of putting Thor’s body in a numb state, but once hot water is raining on his back and he gets an eyeful of his future-husband’s lithe nude body, Thor is powerless to stop the blood that rushes to his cock.

Loki’s legs are unbelievably long, and his tiny waist has gone tragically hidden underneath his work clothes up to this point. He steps into the stall and moves in front of Thor, nearly close enough for the head of Thor’s erection to make a move on him.

“Hi,” Thor repeats as his hands instinctively come up and move to cup Loki’s neck.

“Hi,” Loki echoes as he leans into the embrace.

“Is this okay?” Thor murmurs, squeezing his hand for indication.

Loki nods. “You can touch me, Thor.”

_ If he wasn’t hard before. _

Though he’s desperate to drown Loki in kisses, and ensure they get pressed over every last bit of him, Thor intends for a pumpkin to be involved and wants to make sure Loki knows that he is interested in him romantically, and not just sexually.

“Is there a restaurant in this building?” Thor asks as the hand not holding Loki’s neck comes up to lightly trace up and down Loki’s right arm.

Loki looks confused, and his brows furrow. “There’s a coffee shop on the second floor,” he answers slowly.

“Can I take you there after this?” Thor presses. “And maybe the pumpkin patch can be our third date.”

He already finds Loki disarmingly cute, but the way he tries to hide his pleasure at being asked out makes Thor’s heart beat fiercely.

“Sure,” Loki answers, trying to sound indifferent like his furious blushing isn’t giving him away.

Thor smiles at this gorgeous man and then drops his head back to let the water rush over his crown.

“Ah, my arms are  _ so tired _ from washing windows all day,” Thor begins, exaggerating his exhaustion. “If only there was a super sexy siren in the shower with me to help me wash my — hey, wait a minute!”

He rights his head and looks at Loki, pretending to be surprised to see him there despite still having both hands on him.

Loki rolls his eyes and snorts.

The gym provides shampoo and body wash, and Thor tries not to moan when Loki begins massaging his scalp.

Then, upon .003 seconds of consideration, he decides there is no reason not to demonstrate his ecstasy to his crush and lets out a loud cry.

Loki smacks him but Thor hears a laugh.

It takes over ten minutes of holding his jeans under a hand dryer before the boys concede that Thor’s clothes will not be comfortably wearable any time soon, and Loki goes to one of the lockers to retrieve something.

“Here,” he says as he offers Thor sweatpants and an oversized sweater. “They’re clean, I keep them here as a backup.”

“Thank you,” Thor says as he accepts them. “That’s your locker?”

Loki shrugs. “I refuse to take my lock off of it, so sure.”

Thor laughs as he changes into the clothes, and he’s grateful that if he’s going to wear anything of Loki’s that it’s stretchy workout gear as Thor is much larger and the fit is still tight.

The couple exits the fitness center with Thor’s wet clothes in a laundry bag. The drawing, as well as Thor’s wallet and cellphone rest in the front pocket of Loki’s borrowed sweater.

As Loki begins to lead them down a new hallway, Thor reaches out and catches Loki’s pinky with his, silently asking to hold his hand.

Loki pretends not to be pleased as he turns his palm out and Thor laces their fingers together.

They stay that way through walking to the coffee bar, ordering, and even as they take seats on opposite ends of a tiny table Thor continues to hold Loki’s hand tightly.

Instead of a rose on the table, there’s a small decorative pumpkin, and Thor thinks that’s even nicer.

He reaches his legs out to begin the game of footsie he’s been fantasizing about for weeks, and gazes adoringly into Loki’s eyes. Of all the lovely views he’s seen in his time washing windows, nothing beats the one before him now.

“ _ Hi _ .”

oooooo

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading!


End file.
